Matching new oak to old

[Dean Karavite]

Hi All,

I have two projects where I need to match color with old pieces made of white oak. One is a new leaf for an oak dining room table. The other is for a repair on a small side table with a quarter sawn top. Both are old and I think have a lacquer finish. I have wood (white oak) for both where the grain is a very good match, but how to end up with the same color? I am new to finishing and maybe this is a bit advanced, but I'd like to give it a shot. Any help would be appreciated.

Thanks,

Dean

[Thomas Pender]

Dean,

This is one of those questions that requires more detail. Specifically, what color are you trying to match, what is the finish, etc. Pictures help. Otherwise, there would be lots of guessing.

White oak and more specifically QSWO can be forgiving because it takes stain so well. But, it it was fumed to begin with this limits your ability to match. One thing you need to plan on is making several test strips, allowing lots of time for drying, etc. Also, the finish on top of the stain is critical. Is it a satin? A gloss? I know you said lacquer, but that really does not mean much.

One thing to keep in mind is that you may need to buy several kinds of dye and experiment. The other is that furniture repair guys are often the best at what you describe because that is what they do. So if the work is important enough - - -

[Dean Karavite]

Thanks Tom,

I should have been more clear. I think what I need isn't specific advice on these projects, but general advice on resources to help me learn how to do this. Books, websites... covering basic techniques and general rules of thumb... plus and minus of stains, dies... that sort of thing.

[Thomas Pender]

Dean,

Finishing can be methodical and should be, but getting the color you want and using one method or another is so much about personal preference.

As for a book, try UNDERSTANDING WOOD FINISHING by BOB FLEXNER - Amazon has a link to buy it.

IMHO, the best place to buy dyes is Woodworking Supply - others may have alternative suggestions. Look at their color sheets and see if you can match and then put on test pieces.

You can also go to a good woodworking store and invest some money in stains and finishes - there may be a guy there who will guess what color you need to use (do not hold him to it). I will admit to having bought dozens of cans of oil finish from every type of store there is and having test strips on white oak with descriptions. (Same for the Watco Danish Oils - I tend to use medium walnut because I like it.)

Me, I usually avoid dyes with QSWO because I fume - not something for the inexperienced. I have also used the formula in the old Popular Mechanics Mission furniture for Mission finish and the really excellent gel sold by Rockler. (That book is available from Amazon - not expensive.)

Matching the top coat - varnish, etc. Hard because it is hard to get new to match with old. Unless the piece is a fabulous antique and you would destroy its value, you can sand off the old (if not too much) or otherwise refinish the entire piece. Then your color will match .

My normal finish schedule for QSWO is:

Dimension it. Cut mortises and tenons or whatever (I tend to stain and finish what I can before I glue up - glue messes up stains and finishes - but it is ok to spray the varnish on last). Plane it smooth. (I use a LV BU Smoother - sometimes with a 50 degree Iron - especialy with highly figured QSWO, Jack, etc.) If necessary - Use cabinet scraper or 220 grit depending. I will burnish with 440 if I think it will help.

Fume for 24 hours in tent. For final - use a satin - - Target EM6000 or Minwax Polyacrylic (you can buy the Minwax at a Borg) - both water soluble and they yield great results. Smooth with 220 grit or even 400 grit. Vacuum well between (3-5) coats of the Target or Polyacrylic - also wipe clean with a microfiber cloth each time. Last coat will just look right.

Use Rockler gel or equivalent. Use minieral spirits to smooth out and even color. Same final as above.

Use Watco or equivalent. Follow directions! Same finish.

Water dye from Woodworkers Supply - harder getting the right color. Apply. Get color right and sand smooth. Water will raise a knap that needs to be removed with light sanding. Then I put a coat of wax free shellac before finishing and lightly sand. Alcohol dye can be better in that department.

As many woodworkers as there are you will find methods. All I can say is good luck!

[Prashun Patel]

+1 for the Flexner book. It'll make you a finishing geek.

[Steve Schoene]

Don't sand off old finish. If you must remove old finish use a chemical stripper.

What it takes to match new to old depends greatly on how the old was finished to begin with. Commercially finished furniture was seldom finished in a one or two step process. Dye, which can be diluted to any degree to make subtle color changes is great for getting the base color right. But then you need to consider the color in the pores, as well as whether they have been filled or remain open as depressions in the surface. The topcoats may have contained color as well, either dye or pigment. That becomes challenging, since it really requires spray techniques to get finish with more than a very small amount of color to look even.

All of these things can be learned, but expect to make many tests on scrap before you touch the project itself. Be sure when testing to work through the entire process.

[Dean Karavite]

Thanks everyone. Like I said, just looking for resources. A "teach me to fish" sort of thing. I think I need to get some new supplies, a lot of scrap and start experimenting. Something tells me keeping notes might be a good idea.